As the amount of data generated within an industry increases, it becomes increasingly important for trading partners to develop and maintain a secure, efficient and scalable method of transferring and assimilating all of this data.

The DMS (Dealer Management System) is on the verge of radical changes if not outright extinction. Bold statement? Yes. Is it true? Consider this quote from none other than Sandy Schwartz, President of Cox Automotive:

“... a DMS in the future "should be a smaller unit" within a dealership, he added, "not this big anchor." “And any such DMS should be open source -- something that integrates easily with whatever other products a dealer wants to use”

Previously, we’ve covered the importance of dealer integration from a business perspective, we looked at new technologies that facilitate integration, and examined the tidal wave impact that the consumer is having on the automotive industry’s integration priorities. But what does the overall integration landscape look like from a global perspective?

Fast, efficient automotive integration has never been more important than it is today. Rising consumer expectations, the impact of the connected car, challenges from the tech industry and the critical need for a more efficient automotive industry are driving integration forward. Better and faster integration methods are now available and have many benefits.

Just how big is the connected car market going to be? Accenture estimates that it has the global potential to reach a total €500 billion by 2025 or roughly $430 billion USD. Much of that revenue would be in the form of data access fees and service/software subscriptions. These revenue streams typically feature much higher gross margins than

The 2016 NADA convention promises to be the most digitally focused convention ever. Look for workshops that focus on enhanced digital marketing strategies, using technology to improve the consumer experience, the connected car, cybersecurity, and leveraging data to improve dealer’s bottom lines.

Times have changed in automotive. The “arms race” is over. By that, I mean gone are the days when manufacturers were engaged in a continual battle for the hearts and minds of customers via the introduction of newer and better features. Airbags, traction control, anti-lock brakes, better fuel economy, greater comfort, all of these were part of the game of one upmanship that manufacturers engaged in, trying to separate their brand from others.

Motive Retail has just announced the release of a new, standards based solution for integration of systems across the powersports industry. Powersports Data Standards (PDS) offers a comprehensive approach for Powersports manufacturers and other suppliers to enable data sharing and tighter coordination with dealers.

If your business is developing and selling systems to dealers, having a better mousetrap is rarely enough to close the deal. It may sound like a difficult pill to swallow, but there is plenty of truth to it. Dealer System Providers or DSPs as we’ve always called them, face numerous hurdles in